Baby Girl
by Yondaime Namikaze
Summary: Katniss Everdeen is determined to find her place in the world. This determination fuels her to leave the town where she was born and raised. Her journey is cut short when she is forced to stop in a small West Virginia town just south of the Pennsylvania border, but is it here where she will find just what she's looking for...and, perhaps, maybe even a little more?


**This story is going to be a bit of a trial run for me. Frist, I've been lacking in ideas lately, so as I listen to Pandora, if I come across a song that seems to have a storyline, I sometimes choose to write a story based on the song. Now, this story will be split into arcs. Each arc is based on a song. You'll figure it out soon enough, I'm sure. **

**I'm not yet sure how many arcs will be in this story. I'm just going to sit down MS Word and let the story tell itself. I do know that this (if this trial run works, that is) should be a pretty good story. Well, time to find out!**

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Prologue:  
Home Is Where The Heart Is (Prologue)  
Grade Level: 4.7

_Someday, just you wait…I'll make it big. My name will be known. Yes, Diary, someday, I will leave this town. I mean, the only thing here that I truly care about is my family_. She turned another page. _I can't wait until I'm older and I can leave Butler. Diary, I don't think this town is where I belong. I can't describe it, but…it's almost as if my heart is somewhere else. Maybe someday I should search for that place._

Katniss Everdeen shut the small book and placed it back in its spot on her bedside table. She would return it to the locked drawer later. It had been years since she had added any new entries to it; diary writing was no longer something that she did. Now, she tended to keep her thoughts inside. Sure it wasn't the healthiest way of life, but diaries were too exposed. Not that anyone would want to exploit her open thoughts and feelings, well, maybe her cousin Gale Hawthorne, but she had enough dirt on him that she could exact her revenge. Speaking of Gale, she really needed to talk with him. The two were very close and they told each other everything (hence why she could get revenge on him if he ever upset her).

Throwing on jeans and a random T-Shirt from her closet, Katniss left her room and headed downstairs. It was only a short walk to her cousin's house and Katniss's mother knew that when her daughter left the house, she would be found at the Hawthorne's place in as little as five minutes later. Therefore, Katniss only gave her mother a quick parting glance on her way out the door.

Arriving at Gale's home, Katniss did not even bother to knock. Hazel Hawthorne, Gale's mother, was, by now, well accomplished to Katniss's frequent (and often unplanned) visits. Katniss gave a small wave to her mother's sister and asked quickly, "Is Gale in his room like usual?"

"Yeah, he's probably playing video games."

Sneaking quietly up the stairs to Gale's bedroom, Katniss saw that his mother was correct. Gale was playing some racing game with his two little brothers, Rory and Vick, while her sister, Posey, the family's youngest child, watched. None of them noticed Katniss's arrival until she grabbed the remote control from Gale's bed and switched off the television.

"Ah, come on, five more minutes, Mom," Gale almost whined without turning around. When he did turn to face the door, he promptly noticed his mistake, "Oh, hi Katniss. Sorry, I thought you were—"

"Yes, Gale. I know who you thought I was. Can we talk?" Katniss knew how much Gale hated it when she used that phrase with him, but she preferred to be straight forward about matters such as this.

Gale turned the TV back on and passed his controller to Vick before following Katniss out of the bedroom. She led him past Hazel and outside before sitting under their favorite tree in the Hawthorne's backyard. This was the place where they often talked; they had done this ever since they were young. The air between them was tense and silent. Gale, still unsure about what Katniss wanted to talk about, waited for her to begin the conversation, a conversation which she, herself, was unsure how to begin. Unfortunately, Gale was not one to be patient. "Catnip, I know something 's wrong. Please, what's up? You obviously came to me, so please tell me. We'll get through it together just as we always do." By using the nickname, he had, in affection, given his cousin when they were younger, Gale hoped to coax the truth out of the girl.

"Gale," Katniss began softly, mulling over her words before speaking them. "I've been thinking lately…about something that I wrote when I was younger." She spared a glance at her cousin and saw his stoic face, urging her to continue and explain. "Since I was young, I've wanted to leave Butler, you know, go somewhere and be someone..." she trailed off, slightly, debating how to continue her explanation.

"Well, you know, with your voice, that's not out of the question. You're an amazing singer, Katniss."

The girl smiled slightly at her cousin's encouragement. "I cherish every moment I spend with you, Gale. You're one of the few reasons why I don't want to leave this town. You and Prim…I'll really miss you both, but…other than that, there's really nothing keeping me here. It's just that…well…I've never felt like I truly belong here. There's somewhere else that's calling me…I just don't know where that is yet."

As she glanced back at her cousin again, she could see that he was debating over what she said. However, he knew better than to argue with Katniss once her mind was set on something. Nothing could change her mind; at times, she could be just as stubborn as him. "What about money? Do you even have enough to make it out there on your own? I mean, I could go with you…not that I want to leave Butler or anything, but…"

"No, Gale, you should stay. Your brothers and sister need you." He made to say something, but she quickly stopped him. "I know what you're going to say and it's not true. Prim has become very independent and she won't need my help much longer. I'll miss her, but she will be fine. As for money, no, I don't have all that much, but I have enough to start my journey. If I have to, I'll briefly stop somewhere and work to gain some more before continuing."

Yes, Gale had tried to tell himself that there was nothing he could say that would convince his cousin to reconsider, but he did not agree that this was the best time for Katniss to leave home. "Katniss, this plan of yours, I mean, I think that it will work out someday, but shouldn't you maybe wait until you have a little more money or maybe a more solid idea of where to go?"

"I can do this, Gale. Something tells me that I'll be fine. The reason I came to tell you is because I wanted you to be the first to know. In my life, you've often been the first one I would talk with, either you or Prim. I'm sorry if you disagree, but I have to do this and nothing you say will change my mind. I need a change and I need it fast."

Sighing slightly, Gale stood up and shoved his hands into the pockets of his old jeans. "Okay, Catnip. Just…make sure you talk with your family before you up and leave them. They'd want to know."

Katniss stood up as well and looked up slightly so that her gaze met that of her cousin's. "Don't worry. I plan to do that. Thank you for your time, Gale. That was all I needed. Sorry to disturb you from playing video games."

"No, no, it's fine. I always have time to hang out with you, cousin. Be safe on your way home, okay?"

"Always, Gale." With those final words, the two parted ways. Gale returned to his house (and, most likely, to his video games). Katniss began the short walk home. It would be dinnertime soon and she did not want to hold up her family; the Everdeens enjoyed family dinners together most nights of the week.

As she walked, Katniss continued to think about her plan to finally leave Butler. _I am sure that I want to do this, but I probably should take some time to at least think this over. Gale is right…to some extent anyway. If I don't have some semblance of a plan, this will never work out. Besides, I have to tell my family about this idea before I leave them. Well, it's not going to be tonight. Maybe tomorrow, yeah, tomorrow might work…._

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**It actually took me awhile to write up this chapter, but I'm confident now that this "trial run" will work and the story will not suffer. **

**Arcs continue to be added and formed to my plan. As of now, there twelve (including this one), but that is by no means final. Only when we hit the last four or five will we hit "the point of no return" and "the end is nigh" time. Until then, sky's the limit, I suppose.**

**This arc will be about four chapters, I'm guessing, but I won't truly know until it's nearly completion.**

**Anyway, enough of my rambling. I hope that you enjoyed chapter one and the start of arc one. Until next time…**

**Posted: October 3, 2013**


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